India women’s team captain Mithali Raj, 39, who will be playing her sixth World Cup next month in New Zealand, believes the presence of a sports psychologist is benefiting her team immensely.

The Indian women’s team will be playing a solitary T20I against NZ at Queenstown today. They will play five ODIs against Kiwis at the same venue, starting from Saturday. Thereafter, the team will be heading into the ICC World Cup (March 4-April 3), beginning at Mount Maunganui. And apart from head coach Ramesh Powar and other support staff members, sports psychologist Mugdha Bavare is helping the team give their best in Kiwiland. “I think every player has their own individual way of absorbing pressure, coming out and playing their best cricket. Having a sports psychologist travelling with the team this time around helps. She [Bavare] has one-on-one sessions with the players to give them more time to understand how to deal with their pressures and find ways that they can absorb and give their best,” Mithali said during a virtual media interaction ahead of the T20I game on Tuesday.